Production of heavy pigs in Friuli Venezia Giulia: a case study

The limitation of using the tight of pigs slaughtered in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region only for the production of the San Daniele ham DOP and the concomitant ban to export from the Region these tights for the other Italian hams DOP forced the Region and the Regional breeder association (AAFVG) to find new strategy to ensure the economic sustainability of regional pig farms. A 5 year research program was founded to evaluate the reproductive and productive performances and the carcass and seasoned ham quality of Italian Duroc X Italian Large White F1 crosses (DU). This hybrids were compared to a Commercial hybrid X Italian Large White F1 crosses (GO) in 3 commercial farms in Friuli Venezia Giulia. 330 Italian Large White sows were mated with 13 Italian Duroc or 13 Commercial hybrids boars during a 3 year span times and at born a radio frequency identification chip was inserted on left leg of piglets and used. Of the 30000 pigs born, 4784 were individually monitored for live weight at 4 and 11 weeks of age and at the end of fattening (around 280 day of age), carcass weight and quality (Fat-O-Meter), weight of fresh thighs and fat composition. The DU pigs had significantly higher (P<0.01) final live weight (173.7 kg±0.5 s.e. vs 167.4 kg±0.5 s.e.), carcass weight (141.0 kg±0.4 s.e. vs 138.7 kg±0.4 s.e.), fresh thigh weights (17.1 kg±0.1 s.e. vs 16.3 kg±0.1 s.e.) and lower monounsaturated fatty acid percentage in subcutaneous fat of thigh (47.9%± 1.5 s.e. vs 49.2%±0.9 s.e.) than the GO hybrids. The fat percentage measured by FOM was significantly higher (P<0.01) in DU pigs (48.7%±0.1 s.e. vs 49.2%±0.1 s.e.) and the percentage of pig carcasses classified as R in the EUROP grid were significantly (P<0.05) higher in DU (57.6%) compared to GO (55.6%). According to these results, the DU are proposed as a new brand of Tipicamente Friulano for the Friuli Venezia Giulia pig industry.